Roof framer



Oct. 13, 1953 J. D. LAWRENCE ROOF FRAMER Filed June 2, 1950 m\ @i @INEM l! 'll'. l..."

Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROOF FRAMER James D. Lawrence, Woodson, Ark.

Application June 2, 1950, Serial No. 165,615

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved device for roof framing and the like, the primary object of the invention being to provide a simple device of this kind with the use of which an inexperienced carpenter can easily and quickly lay out and frame a slanting roof by obtaining from simple adjustments of the framer, the top cuts, bottom cuts, and lengths of common, hip, and valley rafters, and the bevel and lengths of jack rafters, without performing any mathematical calculations, and which can also be used for laying out stairways and the steps thereof.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above which is composed of only two relatively movable and simply constructed parts, which can be manufactured in a rugged and serviceable form at relatively low cost.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, merely for illustrative purposes, a specific embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the illustrated device. showing the triangle set for a framing operation.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan diagram of lengths of common rafters on the base.

'Figure 4 is a plan diagram of lengths of valley rafters on the base.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral l5 generally designates the base of the device, which is in the form of a flat elongated rectangular plate having a straight functional edge 6. Extending toward the right from its left hand end the edge 6 has a scale 'I marked with 24 oneinch graduations 8 divided by sixteenth inch graduations 9. Beginning at the 151/2 inch mark I with the numeral 5, the scale I has half-inch graduations or marks l0 running to 16, ending at the 2linch mark, as indicated at I I. The numerals from to 16 relate to one-half of the width of the building whose roof is tobe framed'.

Extending parallel to the edge 6 from the inch graduation 1 to the inch graduation 11" is a slot I2. At each end of the edge 6 is a lug I3 projecting beyond the edge 6 to support the base 5 with the edge 6 parallel with the material while laying out the work.

The triangle I4, which is positioned upon the base y5, is an open isosceles right triangular flat plate formed with a hole I5 aligned with the cenany one of the boxes'23.

ter of the acute angle at the left hand corner of the triangle, and also with a slot I5 beginning from hole I5 and extending three inches parallel to edge of the blade I8. A headed bolt II which passes through the slot I2 of the base 5 is adapted to be passed either through the hole I5 or the slot I5. A knurled nut II is provided on the bolt to enable clamping the base and triangle in selected relative positions when desired, the bolt I6 serving as a pin slidable along the slot I2 to guide longitudinal and pivotal movement of the triangle I4 relative to the base 5.

The left hand or base side I3 of the triangle constitutes the blade, the right hand or altitude side I9 the tongue and the lower or hypotenuse side 2D the brace of the triangle It. The brace is formed intermediate its ends with a tilted window slot 2| and the lower end of the tongue is provided with a similarly tilted window slot 22, these window slots being registrable with areas of the base 5 as hereinafter described. The outer edges of the blade I8 and tongue I9 are each provided with one-inch markings I3 and I9', respectively, having sixteenth inch subdii visions beginning at the corners of the triangle.

The area A is composed of lines of rectangular boxes 23 containing figures 24 representing lengths of common rafters, the slot 2| of the brace of the triangle I4 being registrable with To the right of the area A is the area B consisting of similar lines of boxes 25 containing figures 26 representing lengths of valley rafters.

Along the right hand or outer edge 2l of the tongue I9 is a scale of equal graduations 28 numbered from 4 to 12 to indicate the rise per foot of span of common rafters. An intermediate column of equal graduations 29, staggered with respect to the graduations 28, is located inwardly of the first mentioned column and indicates the rise per foot of valley rafters. An inner column of graduations 3i), shorter than the other columns but also numbered from 4 to 12 indicates bevel out for jack rafters. The intermediate graduations 29 indicate the rise per foot of span of valley rafters while the inner graduations 3o indicate the bevel cut for jack rafters.

The graduations 28 and 29 extend to the outer blade edge 21, the graduations 29 being angularly deflected to line up with the graduations I I on the half-length scale on the base l5. When so figure 26 in the box 25 in the right hand area "B on the base exposed by the tongue window slot 22 will then be the proper length of the valley rafters; and the figure 24 in the box 23 of area A exposed in the brace window slot 2| will be the proper length of common rafter.

The proper rise per foot of span is determined by placing the end of the proper graduation 30 of the inner column on the tongue I9 under the desired rise withthe edge G of baseg 'and marking along the edge I8' of the blade I8, whereby the proper bevel cut for the jack rafters is obtained.

The triangle I4 is originally placed relative to the base 5, where the building to be roof fraied is 28 feet wide, with a rise of 8 inches per liori-I- zontal foot of span, by placing the triangle on the base so that the gure 8 in the right hand or outer column of graduations 28 on thetongue I9 is aligned with the 20`inch mark on the base edge 6 corresponding to the 14 mark on the half inch scale II.

Th A top or plumb cut is obtained by marking the timber along the outer edge I8' of the tongue and the bottom or horizontal cut by marking the timber along theouter edge I8 of the blade. By looking through the brace window 2I the length of 16 feet 10 1/8 inches is found as the proper length for the common rafters.

` For hip or valley rafters, the triangle I4 is placed on the base 5 so that the graduation 29 corresponding to a rise of 8 inches is aligned with the graduation I I on the edge 6 of the base corresponding to 14 or one-half of the building width. The marking is then done along the outer edges of the tongue I9 and blade I8 as in the' case -of Vcox'n'- mon rafters to obtain the top and bottom 'cuts for the valley rafters. -By looking through the slot 22 'of the tongue I9 the figure 22fee`t 10% inches is seen which is the proper length of the' hip or valley rafters. i

The triangle I4 is then shifted to place the graduation 30 of the inner column on the tongue I9-, lco'rrespending to a rise of 8 inches, in align'- ment with the edge `6 of the base 5. Marking the timber along the Vouter edge of the blade I8 gives the bevel out, for the jack rafters. The information box-` 3`I 'on the blade then gives the proper length for the jack rafters.

T o layout steps of astairway the 'outer-'edge 32 eff 'the blade Irs is 'sd'f'or thewidthef the treads and the outer edge ii of the tongue -I's lis used for the risers. If 'steps of narrower lthan standard treadare to be laid out, the-bolt I6 is put thrdugh thesiot f5' inthe blade instead `of 'the hole 1-5.

`Wl'lis, Clmfds.: i 1. In a roof framing devicleLan elongated base plate having a straight-i'errgitudma1edge oppone side thereof, a single longitudinal 'slot formed in saidjb'ase plate iiiarallelVK to and clse to said straight edge, a right triangle overlying said base plate, said triangle Ahaving base, altitude, and hypotenuse sides, said triangle having its' hypotenuse side overlying the Vloaseplatje and portionsof its base and altltudevsidesextending beyond the straight 'edge ofthe base plate, "a clamping -bolt extending 'through said longitudinal vslot and journaled in the 'corner of thektria'ngle at which its base and Y 'hypotenus'e sides meet whereby movement of `said triangle is limited to (longitudinal movement 'along and, pivotal movement about saidbase plate "to present edges ofsaid base and altitude 4sides as marking `eliges in conjunction with said straight ledge said 'longitudinal slot reaching from me ad of. 'sad 'hase nee e a peint in longitudinally L'spaced "rela-tion tb the other end of the base plate and having a longi`` tudinally inward end, the surface of said base plate between the longitudinally inward end of the slot and the said :other end of the base having two longitudinally spaced groups of boxes thereon, the hypotenuse side of the triangle constituting a brace, the base side thereof a blade, and the altitude side thereof a tongue, said base having a window formedA therein for selective registry with one group f boxes and said tongue having a window formed therein for registry with the other group of boxes.

2. In a roof framing device, an elongated base plate having a straight longitudinal edge on one side thereofa single longitudinal slot formed in said 'base plate parallel to and close to said straight edge, a right triangle overlying said base plate, said triangle having base, altitude, and hyptenuse sides, said triangle having its hypotenuse si-de overlying the base plate and portions of its base and altitude sides extending beyond the straight edge of the base plate, a clamping bolt extending through said longitudinal slot and journal'ed in the corner of the triangle at which its base and hypotenuse sides meet whereby movement of said triangle is limited to longi tudinal movement along and pivotal movement about said base plate to present edges of said base an'd altitude sides as marking edges in conjunction with said straight edge said longitudinal slot reaching from one end of said base plate to a point in longitudinally spaced relation to the other e'nd of the base plate and having a longitudinally inward end, the surface of said base plate between the longitudinally inward 'end of the slot and the said other end of the base having two longitudinally spaced groups of boxes thereon, the hypotenuse side f the triangle constituting a brace, the base side thereof a blade, and the altitude side thereof a tongue, said brace having a windowforme'd therein for selective registry with one group of boxes and said tongue having a window formed therein for registry with the other group of boxes, said straight edge of the base plate having longitudinal graduations of equal length therealo'ng and an edge ofthe tongue o f the triangle having longitudinal graduations adapted to be aligned with the graduations of the straight edge, whereby the windows Lof the brace and tongue become registered with predetermined boxes of the groups of boxes.

3. Ina ro'of framing device, an elongated base plate having a straight longitudinal edge on one side thereof, a single longitudinal slot formed in said base plate parallel to and close to said straight edge, a right triangle overlying -said base plate, fsaid triangle having base, altitude, and hypotenu'se sides, said triangle-having its hypotenuse 'side Joverlying the base .plate and portions of. its base an'd altitude :sides extending beyond the straight edge 'of the base plate, a Iclamping bolt Eextending through'said longitudinal slot and Journaled in the corner of the triangle at which its 'base and hypotenuse sides meet wher'eb'y movement bf said triangle is limited to longitudinal movement along and pivotal 4movement about said base plate to `present edges lof said base and altitude sides as marking edges in corrjunction withfs'aid straight edge'said longitudinal slot reaching Vfrom one end'of said baseiplate toa point `in 'longitudinally spaced Krelation "to fthe other end of the base plate and vl'iaving fa longitudinally inward end, the surface of "said base plate between the longitudinally 'inward end '-of theslot and 'the said L'other v'end 1of fthebasehaving 5 two longitudinally spaced groups of boxes thereon, the hypotenuse side of the triangle constituting a brace, the base side thereof a blade, and the altitude side thereof a tongue, said brace having a Window formed therein for selective registry with one group of boxes and said tongue having a window formed therein for registry with the other group of boxes, said straight edge of the base plate having longitudinal graduations of equal length therealong and an edge of the tongue of the triangle having longitudinal graduations adapted to be aligned with the graduations of the straight edge, whereby the windows of the brace and tongue become registered with predetermined boxes of the groups of boxes, the blade of the triangle being formed with a slot parallel to the outer edge of the tongue through which said bolt passes so that the triangle can be moved relative to the bolt so as to change 6 the pivotal point of said triangle on the base plate.

JAMES D. LAWRENCE.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

